THE weeks of rhetoric and spin are finally over. The politicians' painted-on smiles can at last be allowed to fade as, for 15 hours today, the power in the country shifts to you, the people.

This is your opportunity to tell all those vying to run the country - and the county - exactly what you think of them.

However dull the General Election campaign has been - we would certainly have liked to hear more on the environment, transport and health - don't let that sway you.

Nationally, the legality of the war in Iraq has dominated the headlines - a war which the UK and US governments professed would "bring democracy to the Iraqi people".

And yet more than a third of registered voters in this country won't even bother to take the short walk down to the polls today. Why not? Apathy or a feeling that "my vote won't make any difference" are the most often cited reasons.

And yet how many of these same people will have something to say the next time their council tax goes up? Or their child's school has to cancel after-hours clubs because of a lack of resources?

Government decisions affect all our lives in thousands of different ways. And here is your opportunity to have your say on who makes those decisions.

No matter how large the majority for a particular party in your constituency, it is still vital that you exercise your democratic rights. Your vote counts - use it.